


Home Before Christmas

by applesoul



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Christmas, Gay, M/M, Raihan x Leon is there discreetly? Maybe?, Soft Kisses, home before Christmas, soft winter Christmas gays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22193845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/applesoul/pseuds/applesoul
Summary: Hop and Victor hope to see each other before the holidays arrive, and waiting is a lot more painful than it seems.
Relationships: Hop/Masaru | Victor, TrainShipping - Relationship
Comments: 15
Kudos: 147





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AAA I wanted to try and get this up before it’s too late (even tho it already is ><;;) I apologize for that! I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope everyone enjoys reading <3

“Wait — How long did you say you were gonna be in Wyndon?”

“‘Bouta week,” Victor responded to his childhood friend, Hop. The Galar Champion fixed the box-shaped pack on his back as he spoke. “S’pose I should be back on Christmas.”

“A week?” Hop frowned, his indigo-colored eyebrows knitting together disapprovingly. “Mate, that’s seven days! You’re gonna be gone for a week just for some rubbish duties you have to attend to?” Hop stuffed his hands into the pockets of his fluffy blue jacket when the bitter winter Galar breeze nipped at them till they were numb.

Victor and Hop both stood outside the Wedgehurst train station. After being seen off by their moms, Leon, and Sonia, the two went to the train station together and alone. It was near dusk, and the sky was shrouded with dark, cold gray clouds. A snowstorm was just barely beginning, including ice-cold gusts of wind and little snowflakes starting to form and fall down to the ground below.

Victor gave Hop a small and somewhat sad, sympathetic smile. “Hop.. don’t cha worry one bit!” he said, trying to cheer his obviously-upset best friend up. “I’ll be back for Christmas! I can promise you that!” The Champion’s usually-light cheeks had put on a rosy tint from the cold, as did his nose and ears. A red scarf was wrapped around his neck, and he was wearing a gray jacket over his signature red polo shirt. A gray beanie covered Victor’s dark hair, but a curly tuft still poked out in the front.

Hop huffed a bit, still clearly down. Sure, the professor apprentice had gotten used to his older brother leaving for long periods of time whenever he had to attend his former duties. Heck, a week was nothing compared to how long Leon would be gone during his traveling periods. But still.. it felt different when it was his best friend who was leaving. Hop didn’t want Victor to go; he was going to miss him a lot. The teenager tried to convince himself that it would be alright since Victor promised to be back for Christmas.. but it only seemed to work for a heartbeat.

“Okay, fine,” Hop said at last, flashing a suddenly playful smile in Victor’s direction. “You’d better be back in time mate, otherwise I’m hunting ya down on Corviknight!”

Victor laughed, and the way his voice sounded made Hop’s heart skip a couple of beats. “Okay, okay,” the Champion chuckled. “I’ll be back. No need to go out flying on Corviknight — ‘specially in this kinda weather. You can trust me, Hop.” When Victor finished speaking, he pulled out his cherry-red Rotom phone out from his jean pocket to see the time. When he did, his eyes widened. “Shoot! I have to hurry, otherwise I’ll miss the train to Wyndon!”

“W-wait!” Hop blurted, causing Victor to look up at him with a curious yet hurried expression, stashing his phone back into his pocket. The indigo-haired teen hesitated, unsure of his own words as they formed in jumbles in his mind, until he finally spoke again.

“Travel safely, aight mate? And uh..” Hop fumbled again, his words rash. The boy’s tan cheeks flushed with reddened embarrassment when he said, “it’s colder than anything in Wyndon wintertime, mate, and that’s jacket isn’t gonna protect you much from the wild snowstorms they get over there. So.. uh.. take — take my jacket.”

Victor blinked his eyes in surprise, his rosy cheeks seeming to darken in color. “W-what?”

“Take my jacket,” Hop huffed, unzipping his jacket as he spoke. “It’s made with Wooloo wool, so it’s warm and mad softer than yours.”

“H-Hop! Don’t take it off now,” Victor fretted in an embarrassed manner as Hop shouldered off his jacket. “You’re just in a t-shirt — you’re gonna freeze!”

“I’ll be fine, mate,” Hop insisted, folding his jacket over and giving it to Victor. The teenager was hesitant to take it. “Just take it, aight? It’s about as cold as Circhester over in Wyndon, and I’m not gonna get a wink o’ sleep thinking about you wearing that thing around and being cold.” Hop frowned at Victor’s somewhat-shabby gray jacket.

Victor frowned and looked at Hop. However, his frown slowly turned into a smile. “Geez, you’re really worrying that much ‘bout me?” he asked, tipping his head to the side.

Hop blushed a little more and nodded. “‘Course I am, mate!” he insisted. “What kinda friend would I be if I didn’t care for ya? I don’t want you coming back on Christmas with a cold or some rubbish. My jacket will keep ya warm. Besides, the lab is right across the street. I’ll head over there and be fine.”

Victor hesitated again before finally taking Hop’s jacket. The indigo-haired boy took notice of how his warm brown eyes lingered on the jacket’s familiar blue fabric before he looked up at him. “Thanks, Hop,” Victor said, smiling. “I’m not letting you go without something though!” With that, the Galar Champion tugged at his bright red scarf, then pulled it off. Victor swung Hop’s jacket over his shoulder and used both his hands to wrap the scarf around Hop’s neck. Hop froze as Victor leaned close towards him and tied the scarf snugly around his neck. Hop looked at Victor as he worked, his cheeks darkening in a colorful blush.

“M-mate, what’re you..?”

“Take my scarf in exchange for the jacket,” Victor said, backing away when he was satisfied (Hop relaxed when he did, although he oddly missed the sensation of them being close). “You can take my own jacket too — and I don’t wanna hear you say no!” Victor smirked playfully when Hop closed his opening mouth. “You’re letting me have the jacket you wore for our entire journey. The least I can do is make sure you don’t get pneumonia with a t-shirt in the cold. We can trade back when I come home for Christmas.”

Victor quickly took off his own gray jacket after removing his boxy pack and handed it to Hop. Then, the Champion put on Hop’s jacket, zipping it up all the way and putting his pack back on. Hop’s eyes lingered on Victor as he put on his best friend’s shabby gray jacket. The sight of the other teenager wearing his jacket made Hop’s heart almost ache with how much it hammered against his chest. It looked so.. cute on him.

“Mm! You’re right — this thing’s warmer than hugging a group of Wooloo!” Victor said sweetly, pressing the wool lining the hood against his cold, rosy cheeks. Hop stared at him as he did, biting his knuckle and resisting the urge to comment on how adorable and childish it made him look.

“S-see? I was right,” Hop said, smiling a bit.

Victor nodded, and his smile soon faded to become more sad. “Aight, I gotta go Hop. The train’s gonna be departing soon.” The brown-haired boy looked at his best friend with a kind grin. “I’ll try to call you when I can, ‘kay? I’ll be back for Christmas — I promise. And..” Victor hesitated.. then quickly sped over and gave Hop a hug. The surprise threw the indigo-haired boy off, and he silently prayed that Victor couldn’t hear his pounding heart.

“Thank you.”

Hop sighed and grinned, then hugged his friend back tightly. He stared down at the cobblestone underneath them, relishing in the feeling of embracing his crush like this. “Don’t mention it, mate. Just lookin’ out for ya..”

Victor and Hop pulled away, and they lingered there a little, looking at one another in the beginning snowfall. Victor was the one to first snap out of his trance, and he blushed a little before speaking.

“Well, goodbye Hop..!” Victor grinned again and pulled away from his best friend, turning away and jogging over to the train station. The Galar Champion turned back and waved happily. Hop waved back and called out a goodbye before Victor vanished into the station, leaving Hop to stand out in the cold and stare at where he once was.

After a moment, Hop looked down at Victor’s jacket and scarf. Then, he pulled up the red scarf and pressed it against his nose. Hop took a deep breath and smiled a little to himself, recognizing his friend’s scent on the scarf.

Finally, Hop turned and headed towards the lab, snowflakes now flecking his indigo-colored hair as more of them fell down from the darkened sky.


	2. Chapter 2

“Whoa..”

Hop stared through the lab’s kitchen window to the outside world, jaw agape, where a couple of inches of snow now blanketed the hill-like streets of Wedgehurst. The morning sky was obscured by the layers of snow clouds that remained there idly, and icicles hung from the window frame on the outside. Hop’s Dubwool stood beside him, the ram Pokemon looking out through the window as well with widened sun-yellow eyes.

“It came down hard last night,” Sonia commented suddenly, walking over to the window Hop was at from the stove where she’d been making the two some hot chocolate. Two piping-hot mugs, one with and the other without marshmallows, were occupying both of her hands, and the young professor’s Yamper padded after her with her bolt-shaped tail wagging in wild excitement. “Hopefully the snowstorm didn’t delay Victor’s train.”

Hop had stayed the night at the lab after seeing Victor off before his departure to Wyndon. Sonia did as well, and with the couches available in the lab as well as spare blankets and pillows, sleeping arrangements weren’t a problem. It felt strange at first for Hop, to be taking off a jacket that wasn’t his own. But knowing that it was being put to good use for somebody he loved, Hop couldn’t care less. Besides, despite how worn it looked, Victor’s gray jacket did its job at keeping Hop warm when he traveled back to the lab the night before. The scarf especially worked too; Hop would be lying if he said he didn’t like swapping winter gear with his friend. It was worth it too.. Hop got to have something to hang on to while Victor was gone, as did the other. Hop’s jacket looked cute on him as well.

Hop thanked Sonia quietly as he took the hot chocolate mug that didn’t have marshmallows in it, and he hummed as he took a hesitant sip of the hot beverage. While he did, Hop’s eyes wandered back over to the winter wonderland before them. “I’d hope not either,” the apprentice responded after pulling the mug away from his lips. “I doubt it though. I remember when that wicked snowstorm hit while Vic and I were on our way to the station near Circhester. We made it there without any issues for the train.” Upon speaking the other’s name, Hop’s mood seemed to dampen a little bit. It had only been one night, and the longing feeling of missing Victor was already dragging Hop down. It was strange; the two would sometimes go their different ways even all the way back during their journeys.. It felt odd and different this time. Hope missed Victor so much already.

“Yeah, I s’pose so,” Sonia said, sipping from her own drink and ate one of the marshmallows floating on the surface. She was quiet for a moment, and she studied Hop as he stared outside, where a few kids were already rushing outside with sleds and giggles escaping from their lips. After a quick moment of silence, the ginger-haired professor spoke with a soft smile gracing her lips. “You miss him already, don’t you?”

“Huh?” Hop seemed to snap out of a thoughtful trance. He blinked at Sonia a couple of times before he processed her question, and a colorful blush crept across his cheeks as he looked back to the outdoors. “M-me? Nah.. it’s only been a night, Sonia. How could I..” Hop trailed off and glanced over at his mentor and friend, who was now wearing a rather amused expression on her face. Hop groaned a bit and caved. “Okay yeah, I do.”

“Aww, already, Hop?” Sonia asked as Yamper rubbed her cheeks against Hop’s ankles with a whine. The indigo-haired boy plopped down on the windowsill and drank from his mug. “Are you that attached to him? You’re so cute.”

“Stop it, Soniaa,” Hop said with a slightly embarrassed whine in his voice, heaving a sigh. The rosy red from his cheeks never faded away. “Of course I do! It’s so close to Christmas, and Vic has to just up and leave! I didn’t want him to go..! Leon always had to leave for so many days at a time while as Champion, and I couldn’t stand it! I got used to it, b-but it’s different!” Hop leaned against the window and looked outside, his heart feeling weighted. “Vic’s different..”

Sonia gave Hop a sad, sympathetic expression as the boy’s Dubwool nuzzled his shoulder lovingly. The professor apprentice looked over at his ram Pokémon and gently stroked his broad head. Sonia sat down next to Hop, setting her mug next to her hip. Yamper looked up at the two with curious, beady eyes.

Hop and Sonia had grown as friends ever since the boy decided to train under her to become a Pokémon professor. It had gotten to a point where Hop would sometimes vent his emotions to her, and she was trustworthy enough to be a good listener to him. Of course, one of those ramblings led to Hop slipping out that he loved Victor — and that he’d fallen in love with him back when they were younger. Sonia promised to keep the crush a secret, and she was all for it as well, saying that she could “sense” Hop’s feelings through the way he acted towards Victor. The boy found it embarrassing, but he was glad that he had someone he could trust besides Leon. It was worth putting up with the occasional tease.

“I understand why you’d miss him so soon, Hop,” Sonia began, causing the boy to look over at her with a rather embarrassed frown. “You really like him. But don’t worry! Victor will be back before you know it — and in time for Christmas too! We can all celebrate the holidays together. For now, you just gotta be patient.” Sonia put a hand on Hop’s shoulder and smiled at him. “He’s the Champion of our region. He’s going to have duties to attend to. But knowing him, Victor won’t wanna be away from home for too long, nor would he wanna be away from you. He’ll be back, alright? Don’t worry so much about it.”

Hop bit the inside of his cheek and mulled over the professor’s words. At last, he gave her a tiny grin. “Yeah.. you’re right,” he decided. “Thanks, Sonia.”

“Anytime, Hop.” Sonia picked you her mug and rose to her feet, then looked at her apprentice up and down. “You know.. it’s strange seeing you in just a shirt. You usually wear that coat everyday.”

“Yeah, but it’s no biggie,” Hop shrugged, looking at Dubwool again and rubbing the ram Pokémon’s head. He cracked a smile when his partner brayed and leaned into the touch eagerly. “It’s bein’ put to good use, an’ I’ll get it back on Christmas.” Hop picked up his hot chocolate to take a sip of it.

Sonia smiled, her expression now playful. “Ah, that’s good,” she said. More teasingly, she added, “I bet Victor looked so cute with your jacket on. How did you handle that?

Hop choked on his drink, and Sonia laughed as he spat some hot chocolate back into his mug and coughed wildly.

“S-Sonia!” Hop looked over at his friend, still coughing as his face lit up brightly.

“Sorry! I couldn’t help myself,” Sonia said in-between giggles. “But am I wrong though?” The ginger looked over at Hop with glittering teal eyes, and Hop looked away with a flustered, reddened expression. She giggled again and turned away. “You’re so cute when I talk about Victor like that, Hop. You two would make the most adorable couple.”

“Soniaa!” Hop whined, his face darkening in color.

“I’m just messing with you~!” Sonia began to head out of the kitchen. “Now c’mon, hurry and get your coat on! It might be snowing, but we could still at least get some work done.”

Hop grunted and drank more of his hot chocolate. He lowered the mug from his lips and swirled around the contents inside, his golden-yellow eyes fixated on the movements. “Aighhht,” he replied. Once Sonia was gone, Hop sighed and leaned against the window. He gazed outside to the beautiful wintery wonderland, and while he did he allowed his mind to wander a bit.

Hop wondered what it would be like if he and Victor were truly together — if they got to spend the holidays together as more than friends.. Hop imagined going out in the snow with Victor, being able to hold his hand and hug him to keep him warm. He imagined kissing Victor on his rosy cheeks, and then being able to softly kiss him on the..

Hop stopped his mind and realized what he was thinking. His redder than a Tomato berry, the boy groaned and downed his hot chocolate to attempt and clear his mind. Dubwool watched curiously as Hop stared at the ceiling and rubbed an eye with the heel of his hand.

“Ughhh, I can’t take it! I miss him so much, Dubwool!”

Dubwool brayed and nuzzled his shoulder, and Hop looked over at the Pokémon.

“I feel like a little kid, you know?” the indigo-haired boy confessed, huffing. “I should act my age and just be fine with Victor coming back next week, but I’m not! I just want him to stick around! I wanna see him and hear his sweet voice and visit him and see his cute face all the time!” Hop groaned and set his mug down, then rubbed both of his eyes. “Maybe I’ve just been liking him for too long without saying anything to him and it’s driving me crazy.”

Dubwool frowned, then nuzzled Hop again and huffed before braying. The apprentice looked up at his Pokémon and heaved a sigh.

“Yeah.. I should just stop bein’ a wuss and tell him when he gets back.”

Dubwool nodded in agreement.

Hop got up from the windowsill and walked over to the sink. “I’ll try to focus on work for now,” he said as he rinsed out his cup. “I’ll wait for Victor to come back, and then I can see him again. I can handle a week..” Hop looked over at Dubwool and smiled crookedly. “..right?”

Dubwool rolled his eyes and nodded surely, trotting over to his trainer.

“Yeah.. yeah! I-I can do that,” Hop agreed, putting his mug away. “I got this! I’ll — I’ll do it! Let’s go and get some work done.”

Dubwool nodded, and together the two left the kitchen. Soon after, Hop was ready to get his studying done..

..only to be sitting at his desk moments later with thoughts of Victor, whether they were imaginary scenarios or just the boy simply missing him.

Hop put his head in his hands, and from the staircase behind him Sonia sighed and shook her head in fond amusement.


	3. Chapter 3

Hop heaved a sigh as he tapped the eraser-end of his pencil against his lips thoughtfully. A day had gone by since he’d stayed the night at the lab with Sonia, and now the apprentice was back at his own home in Postwick. Hop sat with his legs crisscrossed on his bed, and before him sat a jumbled little mess of papers and a notebook that had all sorts of notes about the study of Dynamax Pokémon jotted down. Daylight spilled into his room through his curtain-drawn window, and his Zacian was laying sprawled out on the floor in a relaxed manner, their braid-like strands of fur laying with them. Victor’s jacket and scarf lay neatly on the foot of Hop’s bed.. and Hop couldn’t help but glance up at them occasionally as he pondered his studies.

“It’s a mad thing how some Pokémon change their form when they Dynamax,” Hop rambled a bit as he picked up one of his research papers and narrowed his brilliant gold eyes while peering at its words. “It’s like that Mega Evolution stuff they got in the Kalos region, but then it’s also kinda not.” Hop huffed and set down his paper and pencil, then flopped onto his back. When his head hit the pillow, the indigo-haired boy turned his gaze over to Zacian. “Mega Evolution can happen anywhere, but Dynamaxing can only happen in Power Spots — and Eternatus generates the power. There’s no Pokémon that can make those Mega Stones.. and Mega Pokémon always have a different form when Dynamax Pokémon don’t..” Hop pauses for a moment, then asked his Pokémon, “Do you have a Gigantamax form?”

Zacian blinked open their eyes and looked up at Hop, then huffed and stretched out their paws. Hop sighed and sat up again.

“Guess not.”

Hop studied the wolf-like Pokémon as they yawned drowsily. The apprentice had Zacian for a while now, and seemingly the more comfortable the legendary protector got, the more dog-like they acted. It probably only made sense, really; even though they and Victor’s Zamazenta were the royal guardians of Galar, surely they still felt the need to act.. normal and not-royal sometimes. Hop was just glad that his Zacian was comfortable enough with him to be able to allow him to see this side of them. Besides, it was kinda cute to watch such an important legend lay around on his carpet like an oversized dog.

While Hop returned to mulling over his studies, his mind wandered a little to Victor. Of course it did; Hop had trouble keeping focus on his work when his friend and crush kept teasingly entering his thoughts and disturbing them. Victor promised that he’d be able to get in touch with Hop when he was free.. Was he really that busy over in Wyndon? The question made Hop feel a twinge of selfishness, and he shut it down instantly. Victor had to focus on his work; Hop wasn’t the only one who was busy. The Champion would call Hop when he could — the indigo-haired boy just knew it. When his best friend promised something, he always kept to that promise. There was never a time when he didn’t.

Hop shook his head clear and returned to work, however it was stopped a few seconds later when he heard the door to his bedroom creak open. Zacian immediately fumbled to their feet to sit in a regal manner, ears perked and eyes wide open. However, when they saw who walked in, the wolf Pokémon flashed an apathetic look before flopping onto the carpet again.

“Hey, Hop,” Leon greeted casually, walking into the room and looking around.

“Lee?” Hop looked up when his older brother greeted him. The boy cocked an eyebrow. “What’re you doin’ in here?”

“Eh, just figured I’d drop in and see how you’re doin’,” Leon responded, walking over to Hop’s bedside and crouching down to pet Zacian. (The legendary Pokémon hardly reacted.) “You’ve been in here for a while.” Leon then looked up and smiled a bit in amusement. “What’re you on your bed for? You gotta desk right there to sit down at.”

Leon had been at home more frequently after Victor had claimed his former Champion position. It gave him and Hop more opportunities to bond as siblings.. and Hop was partially grateful for it, as he really looked up to the other as both an idol and a good brother.

“I focus better on my bed,” Hop replied simply, picking up his notebook and looking over his notes. While he did, Leon leaned over and glanced at the papers.

“Is this the Dynamax stuff?”

“Yeah.”

Leon hummed and looked up at Hop. Then, the former Champion got up and plopped himself down on his younger brother’s bed, careful to sit next to Victor’s clothes rather than on them. Hop shifted a bit due to the sudden extra weight bouncing his mattress, but he didn’t react due to his eyes being glued to his notes. Despite where his eyes were looking though, Hop’s mind was elsewhere.

Leon stared at his younger brother’s expression, causing Hop to looked up at him.

“What?”

“Hm?”

“You’re staring at me, Lee.”

“Oh — nothing,” Leon said, his appearance casual. However, he looked at Hop with a curious, almost skeptical, look. “You just look like you got a lot on your mind.”

“Ya think?” Hop sighed. “Sonia gave me a ton o’ stuff to look into. She’s been amping up my work the longer I’ve been with her.”

“Well, that only makes sense,” Leon shrugged. “How else are you gonna get better as a professor if you aren’t given the same amount of work as one? Easing you into it is a good learning strat, so props to Sonia. ‘Sides, you can handle it, can’t you?”

“What? ‘Course I can, Lee,” Hop huffed, looking slightly offended for a split second. “I-I mean, the work isn’t that bad. It’s just.. a ton.. and it makes me think a lot.”

“That’s what a professor does, isn’t it?” Leon responded. After Hop hummed and nodded, the former Champion hunched over a little and looked more intently at his brother. “You look like something else is on your mind though? Am I wrong?”

Hop looked up at Leon, then laughed shortly. “Why are you asking’ that so suddenly?” he inquired, his golden eyes falling back down to his work. “I’m just thinkin’ ‘bout this stuff. It’s nothing else, really.”

Leon leaned back and chuckled with a grin. “Hop,” he said, catching the boy’s attention, “I can tell how much you’ve grown within a span of a few weeks to a few months down to the smallest centimeter. I can tell when you aren’t all the way focused on something. So —“ Leon brushed some of his violet hair over his shoulder before leaning in and smiling. “— what’s got my little brother in a twist?”

Hop leaned back a little and huffed a small chuckle in amusement. “Nothin’, Lee. Really..”

“Is it Victor?”

Hop fell quiet after that, staring at Leon. After a moment of silence, he attempted to lie through his teeth. “N-no..”

Leon smirked and leaned back. “I knew it.”

“W-what?” Hop put down his notebook. A blush was now beginning to creep up onto his face. “N-no — Lee! I said that Vic w-wasn’t it —!”

“Do you miss him? I guess you would since you have a crush on hi —“

“L-Leee!” Hop covered his cheeks and groaned. “Shut upp!”

“Okay, okay! I was just poking fun at you a bit.” Leon smiled a bit, but this time it was more sincere than playful. More calmly, he said, “You already miss him that much, Hop? He’s only been gone for two days.”

Hop sighed and relaxed a little, his face still warm. “I-I know,” he admitted, shifting his sitting position and pulling his knees up to his chest. “It’s immature, isn’t it? I should be fine with him bein’ gone for a week, but I miss him so much that it’s hard to focus on all this stuff. It’s easy — a lot, but not hard — but with Vic on my mind all the time and this stupid achy feeling goin’ on in my chest, it’s just really hard.. I dunno.”

Leon’s smile softened as Hop unloaded onto him. “Hey, it isn’t immature to miss someone like that,” he told his little brother. “‘Specially knowing how you feel about him. No shame in missin’ Victor! He hasn’t left like this before, either.”

“Yeah..” Hop agreed slowly, pressing his cheek against his knee thoughtfully. “I guess.. It was different when you’d leave, y’know? I was already really used to you bein’ off doing Champion stuff, and I always thought it was so cool that you’d be protecting’ the region and fixing things and stuff. But with Vic.. Me having feelings is one reason, and another being that I’m not used to having him just.. be gone. Even if it’s only a week..” Hop shook his head. “I dunno. I just miss him already.”

Leon pondered his little brother’s concerns, then attempted to relieve them by saying, “It’s alright — I get you! I wouldn’t like it if I had to have someone I really like leave me for a week, I’d hate it as much as you do.”

Hop nodded. “An’ it’s not even that,” he continued on, looking at Leon. “I don’t just like him or anything. I-I..” The indigo-haired boy blushed suddenly, and he looked down bashfully. “I.. I love him, Lee.. It’s really embarrassing, but I really do. So when he has to leave, I-I can’t help but feel just a lil’ selfish.”

Leon smiled again and leaned down to meet Hop’s level. “It’s alright,” he said once more. “You’re bound to feel like that, y’know? But regardless, Victor has to do what he has to do! And if he promises he’ll be back for Christmas, then he will! You know Victor.” The former Champion winked. “He never breaks his promises.”

Hop couldn’t help but smile a little. “Yeah..” The indigo-haired boy hummed a bit before adding, “Thanks, Lee.”

“It’s no problem, Hop,” Leon responded kindly, his grin remaining. “Anything to help my little brother out!”

Hop opened his mouth to speak, however he suddenly stopped when he felt his phone buzz from his pant pocket. Curious, the indigo-haired boy watched as his Rotom-powered phone flew out of his pocket and hovered in front of his face. When he read the name, Hop could’ve shouted.

“It’s Vic!” he exclaimed. Quickly, Hop jumped off his bed and pulled Leon by his arm. “Hurry, out!”

“Okayy!” Leon laughed as Hop yanked him out of his bedroom. “You don’t have to drag me, Hop! I know that you’d want some alone time with your little boyfriend —“

“Shut _upp_!” Hop blushed immensely as he gave Leon one final push out of his bedroom. “I just wanna talk to him by myself.”

“Alrighty then,” Leon said as Hop closed the door. “Have fun with your boyfriend, Ho —!” Before he could finish, Hop’s door was closed, and the boy rushed back over to his phone, eager to answer Victor’s call.


	4. Chapter 4

After closing Leon out of his bedroom, Hop hurried over to his desk and pulled his modern green swivel chair out from under the table. Then, he twisted it around and plopped down, and when he did his buzzing, Rotom-powered phone flew over to him. Zacian perked their ears and looked up with newfound interest as Hop quickly answered the call coming from Victor.

“Helloo?”

“Hey, Hop!”

Hearing Victor’s voice caused Hop to relax. He smiled warmly as Zacian rose to their paws and walked over to his chair. “Hey, mate! How’s Wyndon treatin’ ya?”

“Oh, it’s good! Freezing cold though,” Victor responded. “Sorry I didn’t call ya sooner; I’ve been busier than a hive of Combee! I’m glad to be able to get a break so I could hear your voice.”

The statement processed through Hop’s mind, and he laughed airily while a small blush lit up his tan cheeks. “Haha, yeah. I’m glad to hear you’re doin’ good, mate. I-I’m glad to be able to hear your voice too.” Next to Hop, Zacian nuzzled his arm and gave him a soft bark. The indigo-haired boy smiled at the gesture and added, “By the way, Zacian says hi.”

An audible laugh was heard on the other end — one that made Hop’s heart skip a beat. “Hey, Zacian!” Victor replied sweetly. “Zamazenta’s snoozing away in their Pokéball, but I’ll tell ‘em you said hi.”

Zacian gave an approving snort before nuzzling Hop again — this time more affectionately — and returning to their favorite spot on their trainer’s bedroom floor. Hop watched the wolf-like Pokémon flop down before looking at his phone screen again. Victor had been set to speaker so that he didn’t have to hold the hovering Rotom-phone up to his ear. “ _Soo_ , where are you right now?”

“Oh, just the Champion’s room in Rose Tower,” Victor replied. He must’ve sensed Hop’s tenseness over the phone, because he quickly added, “Don’t worry — it’s safe! This was the room Lee used whenever he had business in Wyndon, and since Rose turned himself in for all that stuff he put Galar through, it’s perfectly safe for me to stay at!”

Hop relaxed a little, and he leaned back in his swivel chair. “That’s good, mate,” he replied after a thoughtful second. “The last thing I need on my mind is you being in some kinda potential danger.”

“No need to worry, Hop!” Victor’s cheerful tone soothed the apprentice even more. “By the way.. your jacket is really comfy. It’s been keeping me warm from the cold. I’m actually wearing it right now!”

Hop stared at the phone for a split-second, imagining the way Victor looked wearing his jacket on the night he left. Imagining him like that right now made his heart feel soft. “Aww, heh, really? I-I’m glad the jacket’s been treating you good, mate..”

“Of course! Thanks for letting me use it,” Victor went on, and Hop sat back, taking in his crush’s voice and words as he softly grinned. “I’m taking good care of it — don’t you worry! It was so comfy that I actually fell asleep on the train on the way here.” The Galar Champion laughed a little sheepishly, causing Hop to blush a bit more. “B-but anyways! How much did it snow over there?”

“Huh..? O-oh! A few inches,” Hop responded after snapping out of his clouded daze. “I had to stay the night at the lab with Sonia on the night you left.”

“Dang, really?”

For the next half an hour, Hop and Victor talked about various things and topics, and really felt nice to the indigo-haired boy to hear his crush’s voice like this after two days. Two days.. it sounded petty, but Hop genuinely missed Victor regardless of the short time period. Their conversation went from the weather to their memories at the tournament in Wyndon all that time ago to Zamazenta and Zacian, and at that point they didn’t have a certain topic they were chatting about.

Hop enjoyed every second of it.

After that thirty minutes passed though, Victor spoke.

“Ah, hey Hop? I gotta go.. I’m getting a call from Raihan.”

“Raihan?” Hop perked up at the name of the Dragon-type user and his brother’s only rival. “What does he want?”

“He’s helping me with getting things done since this is my first time tending to duties around Wyndon,” Victor explained shortly. “I should take this. You mind talking tomorrow?”

“Yeah, ‘course, mate!” Hop was sad that Victor had to leave him, however the apprentice knew that whatever he had to see to, it was most likely important. “I’m always free for you!”

Hop heard Victor’s soft chuckle on the other end, and he relaxed and was put at ease from it. “Thanks, Hop. You’re really a sweet friend.” After a moment of comfortable silence, Victor added, “Well, I gotta go. I can text you later though!”

“Aight, mate!” Hop said cheerfully, his mood now feeling rejuvenated after the conversation he had with the other. “I’ll see ya then!”

“Okay, cool. Talk to ya later, Hop!”

“You too mate!” The indigo-haired boy leaned forward towards the screen. He felt light-hearted, and he hoped that he could have another conversation with Victor soon. “Bye, Vic! Love you —!”

Hop froze as his screen displayed that Victor had hung up.

“W-wait..” The apprentice held a hand up to his lips and felt horror twist at his heart. “D-did I just..?”

A text notification appeared on the top of the screen. Faster than a flash of lightning from a storm, Hop grabbed his phone opened the messenger app. Just as he’d dreaded, the text message was from Victor.

[ _Sorry, hung up before I could hear you;;; what did you say?_ ]

Hop practically melted into his seat from relaxation. The indigo-haired boy heaved a sigh and gazed at his phone with a frown clear on his face. He’d slipped up big time.. If Victor had heard Hop’s sentence, then who knows how he would’ve reacted. Hop felt almost scared for a moment, regardless of the fact that Victor was one of the nicest people he’d ever met. How would he have reacted? Would it have been good.. or..?

Hop shook his head clear of these random, stray thoughts. No, he wasn’t going to allow his thoughts to drag him through the mud; he’d done that way too much on his journey after being beaten down by Bede. Hop wasn’t going to let those thoughts of fear pull his mood down.. not today.

But now.. what was he supposed to reply with?

Hop figured he should tell the truth — tell Victor that he said he loved him. But as the apprentice’s thumbs hovered over his little touchscreen keyboard, he began to hesitate. After a moment, Hop typed out his response and hit send.

[ _Dont worry bout it mate! Hope that convo w Rai goes good :) Gotta finish some work Sonia gave me, so talk to ya later!_ ]

Hop closed his phone and safely tossed it and its dark screen onto his bed. Zacian’s ear twitched, and the wolf-like Pokémon lifted their head up to face Hop curiously. Hop began to feel a twinge of embarrassment. Did Zacian sense his unease because of the words he said?

Again, Hop forced away the bad words.

“Okay! So, I think that went well!” Hop sprang to his feet, a rush of the need to do something productive taking over his body. “Aight, Zacian, I’m sick of all the book work! Sure, professor stuff is fun and good, but how about we go and stretch our legs by training?”

Zacian narrowed their eyes suspiciously as Hop traversed his bedroom and picked up his backpack, which had been slumped on the floor against the wall opposite from his bed. Hop quickly unzipped the pack and pulled out his Inteleon’s Pokéball before zipping it back up and swinging the bag over his shoulder. Hop tossed the Water-type’s capsule up into the air with his hand and caught it, then looked to his legendary Pokémon with a strained grin on his face. “C’mon, Zacian! You down? It’s colder than Cichester out there, but the fresh air could do us some good!”

Zacian gazed at Hop with a disapproving look, however they still agreed by standing up. The Pokémon wandered over to their trainer and nuzzled his hand before giving him a soft, inquiring bark. Hop took the hint and shook his head.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, Zacian,” the indigo-haired boy forced out huffing as he walked over to his bedroom door. “Let’s just — let’s get out, aight?”

Zacian cocked an eyebrow, then barked. Hop paused and watched as the legendary walked over to the bed and nosed at Victor’s jacket and scarf. The apprentice’s eyes widened after he realized that he was still in just a mere t-shirt, and he laughed and blushed a little out of embarrassment.

“H-ha! Right! I forgot the jacket..” Hop took off his pack and let it fall to the floor, and he placed Inteleon’s Pokéball on his desk as he passed it going back to his bed. The indigo-haired boy grabbed the shabby jacket and put it on, then slowly grabbed for Victor’s red scarf. Memories of the boy tying it around his neck two nights ago flashed through his mind, causing Hop to blush a bit. Still, the boy took it and wrapped it loosely around his neck. Zacian watched as Hop grabbed his starter Pokémon’s capsule again and put his pack back on.

“Aight.. you ready to go?” Hop looked at Zacian.

Zacian hesitated for a moment and glanced at Hop’s phone, which had fluttered around to rest in a more comfortable position, but then they nodded and followed the boy.

Hop smiled and allowed Zacian to walked out of the bedroom before him. The apprentice followed his wolf-like Pokémon out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Clearing his head.. that was what Hop needed. Nothing wrong had happened — nothing but an extremely close call. He would text Victor later, but for now he just wanted to get out of his stuffy bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

“Okay, so Wyndon Stadium in ten minutes?”

“Yeah.”

Victor nodded as he held his cherry-red phone up against his ear. “Okay, I’ll be there soon then. Thanks again for all the help with this stuff, Raihan.”

Victor could hear an audible chuckle on the other end. “You don’t have to keep thanking me, Vic,” the Dragon-type Gym leader said. “But again, don’t mention it. I’ll see you at the stadium.”

“Right! Talk to ya then!”

After that final exchange, Victor pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up the call. After doing so, Victor set his phone down on his bed’s nightstand and prepared to get going towards Wyndon Stadium. Hop’s soft blue jacket was already zipped up on the Champion, so all he had to do was put his gray beanie back on. As usual, Victor’s signature curl stuck out in the front, and the boy didn’t pay any mind to it.

In the middle of grabbing his box-shaped pack, the door to Victor’s room opened. The Champion looked up and was surprised to see a familiar girl with bobbed chocolate-brown hair walk in and close the door behind her. A green beret with a white puffball sitting on top rested on her head, and she wore a fluffy beige parka on top of a brilliant pink dress.

“Oi, Victor,” Gloria greeted, frowning a bit as she approached her brother. “I just heard you get off the phone wit’ Rai.. I thought you were takin’ a break?” The girl put her hands into the pockets of her parka as she spoke.

“Gloria?” Victor questioned, slipping on his bag after pulling out a Pokéball from inside of it. “You’re in Wyndon?”

“‘Course I am,” the girl responded, huffing as her eyes wandered around the room her brother had been staying in. “I came out here t’see how you’ve been doin’ wit’ your new Champion stuff.” Gloria approached Victor as she added, “Professor Magnolia met up wit’ me when I got off the cab, and she told me you might still be in Rose Tower takin’ a break.”

“Ah..! I see,” Victor nodded. He tossed his Pokéball into the air and caught it as he spoke. “Yeah, I gotta go though. Raihan told me to meet up with him at Wyndon Stadium. It’s kinda tiring since I only got like forty-five minutes to chill, but duty calls, I guess.”

“Yeah.. You gotta do what you gotta do now that you’re Champion,” Gloria said with a sigh as she leaned against the side of Victor’s bed. “Has it been rough on ya at all?”

“Hm? Oh, no,” Victor responded after blinking rapidly and snapping himself out of his thoughts. “It’s been a lot, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Raihan said things usually calm down near the end of the week, so it’s just the first leg that’s gonna be this busy.”

“Ah, that’s good,” Gloria commented. “At least it ain’t gonna be like this all week.” She paused for a moment before asking out of curiosity, “Have you been able to talk to Hop at all since you left Postwick?”

At the mention of Hop’s name, Victor’s face lit up, and he smiled as he walked over to lean on the bed next to his sister. “Yeah! I just got off the phone with him before Raihan called me, actually,” he replied.

“How’s he been?”

“Since I left two days ago? Fine,” Victor replied with a chuckle. “Sonia’s been keeping him busy as usual, but nothing out of the ordinary. He told me it snowed a couple o’ inches the night I left.”

“Really?” Gloria blinked. “That sounds nice. I haven’t been in Postwick much, but it’s nice to hear they’re gettin’ some snowfall. It’ll really feel like Christmas when we head back over there at the end of the week.”

Victor nodded in agreement. “Yeah..” he said before gazing down at his Rillaboom’s Pokéball thoughtfully. “I wish I could’ve talked to Hop more.. Call me crazy, but I already miss him.”

“Already?” Gloria smiled in amusement. “It’s only been two days, Vic. At this rate, you’re gonna go crazy with missin’ him by the end of the week.” Despite the joke, the brunette’s voice was more lightly teasing than playfully mischievous.

Victor glanced over at her and huffed in amusement while shaking his head. “I know, it’s silly,” he said.

“I didn’t say it was silly.”

“I know, but I feel that way,” Victor sighed, putting more of his weight against his temporary mattress. “I wish I had more free time, y’know? If I can’t see Hop, I at least wanna hear his voice. It felt nice hearin’ him over the phone.”

“Well.. if you had more free time, then nothin’ would get done,” Gloria pointed out.

“I know that,” Victor frowned, looking at Gloria. “It’s just a wish though. I know I can’t have that — at least not till the end of the week when things die down. If Hop came along, he’d help out and then we could finish stuff up heaps faster.”

Gloria shrugged. “Yeah, but he has his own responsibilities, Vic,” she said. “That would be nice if he could come along.. but we both know that you’d be distracted.” A small smirk grew on her face. “You’d be starin’ at him all the time, and you’d be off track and wantin’ to be around him.”

At this point, Victor’s face had grown to be a bright red color. He covered his cheek with his hand and muttered, “Shut up, Gloria..”

“What? You know I’m right,” Gloria teased. The Champion’s sister knew all too well about how Victor liked their childhood friend. After hearing him ramble about it to her on multiple occasions, it was more than obvious that his crush towards Hop had never died out as they got older. If anything, it seemed to grow more and more.

Victor grumbled as he pushed himself off of the mattress and walked around the bed. “I-I gotta be working anyways,” the boy said, still embarrassed. He stopped momentarily to release his gorilla Pokémon from its Pokéball. After materializing in a flash of light, Victor’s Rillaboom appeared beside his trainer. The Grass-type sniffed the air momentarily before nuzzling his trainer as a greeting. Victor smiled softly and petted his started in return.

Gloria rolled her eyes and walked over to the two. Rillaboom looked up and growled softly in a friendly manner when she did. “Victor, I’m just playin’ with you,” she said, her hands still in her pockets. “You’ve been likin’ Hop for now long now? Definitely a couple o’ years. I don’t see what’s so hard ‘bout tellin’ him.”

Victor groaned. “I don’t know either,” he admitted, folding his arms. Rillaboom looked at him curiously as he went on. “I-it’s not like I think he’ll hate me or somethin’, but what if he doesn’t like me back still? W-what if my confession makes things awkward between us, and we end up not bein’ friends anymore or something like that? It makes me nervous, Gloria!” Victor looked at his sister helplessly, who only returned the expression with half-lidded eyes.

“Are you serious, Vic?” she asked, causing Victor to look away in embarrassment. “Hop is one of the most loyal blokes I’ve ever met. He’s gone through hell and back with us, and I doubt that having a crush on him and admitting it would ever change that! Whether or not he feels the same, he’ll understand you. Am I wrong?”

Victor hesitated for a moment, but still, he knew that his sister was right. “No.. you’re right,” the Champion said. He then sighed. “Sorry, Gloria. You’re right — I’m just nervous, that’s all. I’ve never really felt this way about anyone before, y’know? So I just.. I don’t know what to really do.”

Gloria frowned again, this time more gently. Rillaboom seemed to have caught on to the conversation, so he sympathetically sat down and pulled Victor in for a hug. The Champion was a bit surprised by the sudden gesture, but he didn’t pull away. While Rillaboom hugged his trainer, Gloria tried to smile and cheer him up.

“Hey, don’t stress so much ‘bout Hop, aight?” she encouraged Victor, causing her brother to look at her. “I get you’re nervous and all that, but that’s no reason to mope! Hop would understand if you just told him, Victor. We both know that’s the truth. I can tell you really like Hop, but again, don’t let it get to you. You’re the Champion! You can handle anythin’! And regardless of what happens, I’ll always support you.” Gloria grinned sweetly.

In return, Victor smiled as he thanked his Rillaboom and got back up to his feet. The Grass-type Pokémon did the same. “Yeah.. you’re right,” the boy said. “Thanks, Gloria. I-I won’t overthink things. M-maybe I could even tell him later this week!” The thought made Victor’s cheeks bring on a more rosy color once more, both out of nerves and the many confession scenarios beginning to race through his mind. “For now, I’m gonna go meet up with Raihan and do my best for the week! Hop would want that for me.”

“That’s the spirit, Vic,” Gloria nodded in approval. “Just focus on what you gotta do, and you can talk to your future boyfriend later!”

Victor froze, and his blush darkened as well as spread to his ear tips. “B-boyfriend?” he stuttered.

“Yeah! Now c’mon already! Don’t keep Raihan up!”

“B-but you just said —“

“Never mind what I just said!” Gloria was now smiling brightly as she walked around Victor and eagerly pushed him towards the door with Rillaboom following close behind. Victor’s Rotom-phone buzzed over and squeezed itself into Hop’s jacket pocket. “Let’s get goin’, yeah? An’ after you’re done with work, we can meet up later for dinner or somethin’. There’s this new joint I heard opened up, and I’ve heard nothin’ but good things ‘bout it! We can chat about you and your crush on Hop then.”

“O-okay, okay!” Victor said, cheeks reddened with heated embarrassed. Still, he began to walk on his own, eventually heading out of his room and shutting the door after Rillaboom and his sister followed.


	6. Chapter 6

“Hop! What in the world were you doing out there? You’re gonna catch something!”

“I’m aight, mum..”

Hop stood in the front doorway of his home, back from another training session with his Pokémon in order to stretch his legs and sharpen his battling skills all the while. The apprentice’s slender Inteleon was beside him, leaning over to brush some damp snowflakes off of Victor’s jacket shoulder, and his mom was standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. Sunset had just completed, leaving the sky to be blanketed by dark, grueling clouds, and with them came a fresh layer of snowfall. Hop was caught in the weather while on his way back from the Slumbering Weald, and now he had to pay the price of his mom’s earful.

Hop’s mom sighed and shook her head. “You worry me whenever you and your Pokémon go out training in that forest on your own in this kind of weather. I don’t want my boy catchin’ a cold — or worse.”

“I do it all the time, mum,” Hop countered, disliking the fact that his mom was treating him like some kind of child. Nonetheless, he understood her worries. “Ya don’t have to worry about it. Heck, Lee trains in worse conditions.”

“And that worries me even more.” Hop’s mom fretted. Then, she waved her hand limply and headed towards the kitchen. “Hurry and get in the living room and sit down. I’ll make you some cocoa.”

The indigo-haired boy complied, taking his damp shoes off and trudging into the living room. Inteleon followed, his long, skinny tail trailing him smoothly. In the warmer, carpeted room of the house, Hop plopped down on the couch closest to the fireplace, where a freshly-built fire was burning, its amber-colored flames flickering in an almost-entrancing manner. Hop looked away after a while an unzipped Victor’s jacket. When he did, his Rotom-phone zoomed out of his pocket and hovered beside him. Inteleon sat next to Hop and kicked back, trilling softly while doing so.

Three days.. it had been three days since Hop first spoke to Victor. The boy and his crush had chatted whenever Victor was free since then, and now Christmas was coming up in two meager days. The thought thrilled Hop — both because of the holiday itself and the fact that his childhood friend was returning on that same day. Hop’s gaze lingered on his family’s brilliantly-lit Christmas tree, and then he turned away to set the Champion’s folded jacket on the arm of the couch. The apprentice gave his phone’s screen a quick scan, so when he didn’t see any important notifications, he grabbed the device and set it face-down on the coffee table. He cracked a smile at his Inteleon, who was practically sinking into the couch cushions and relaxing after a long training session. It did feel nice to sit.. but how comfortable his seat was wasn’t the most important thing on his mind at the moment.

Hop’s mom slowly walked into the living room with a mug of warm hot chocolate in her hands. The woman gently gave it to her son, who thanked her and took a sip.. only to recoil immediately with his now-scathing tongue sticking out of his mouth. Hop’s mother shook her head.

“Wait until it cools off, hun,” the woman advised. “You’re just going to get yourself burnt.”

Hop lightly rubbed his tongue against his top row of teeth as he replied, “Right..”

“Intelll..” Inteleon gazed at the mug with curious reptilian eyes, and Hop’s mom seemed to take notice of this.

“Do you want some too, sweetie?” the woman asked her son’s starter Pokémon, who turned his head to her quickly and trilled curiously. “I have a mix that’s safe for Pokémon to have! I could make you a mug.”

Inteleon happily and eagerly nodded, his tail tip flicking. Hop’s mom smiled and laughed softly.

“Okay! I’ll have that right up for you.”

While his mom exited the living room, Hop’s eyes dropped down to his hot chocolate, which was now resting on his lap. The indigo-haired boy frowned a little, now beginning to grow thoughtful, and he lightly hit the inside of his cheek. Despite claiming that he would have less work on his plate nearing the end of the week, Victor hadn’t messaged Hop since the day before — not even to say good morning like he began to typically do. Did something come up suddenly? Hop assumed such, and he forced himself to relax as he brought his mug to his lips and blew gently. It would be fine; the apprentice just knew it. He would wait for an eternity for his crush if that was what it took.

After a while, Hop’s mom returned with another mug — this one blue — and gave it to Inteleon. The Water-type Pokémon gladly took the cup and set it down on the table, willing to wait for the beverage to cool before drinking it. Inteleon thanked his trainer’s parent with a trill, causing her to crack a smile.

“You’re welcome, dear,” she responded. The woman’s eyes wandered over to her youngest son, who was still thinking.. quite a lot about Victor. Hop’s mom curiously blinked at him. “..Hop?”

“Huh?” the indigo-haired boy looked at his parent with a start, golden eyes now partially widened.

“Are you alright?” Hop’s mom asked with a small frown. “You don’t get lost in thought unless you’re thinking about something important.”

Hop scoffed a bit, then took a tentative sip from his hot chocolate. His Inteleon was now looking at him as well. “It’s nothing,” he tried to say. “Just.. you know.. Victor.” The apprentice was a bit more open with his response with his mom. After all, she was his parent.. a parent who — although gave more attention and affection to Leon than him at times — cared for his well-being. Besides, it could get tiring, trying to deny his true thoughts to anyone who asked about them.

“You two talked yesterday, didn’t you?” Hop’s mom asked while she took a seat on a chair near the couch. “Are you just antsy to see him soon?”

“Ya, I guess,” Hop shrugged after swallowing more of his beverage. “Christmas Eve is t’morrow, and I’m excited t’see Vic when he gets here.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” the apprentice’s mom smiled while Inteleon listened to them intently. “Leon and I know how much you care for him, hun.” The woman looked at Hop with slight amusement when his ears and cheeks warmed up from her comment. “And whatever happens between you two when he gets back, just know that your mum always supports you!”

“M-mum..!” Hop huffed, embarrassed. “I-I don’t even know if anythin’s gonna happen!”

“Well, none of us do,” the indigo-haired boy’s mom pointed out with a small smile on her lips. “And regardless of what does, you have my support!”

Hop smiled a little, even if he was still flustered by his mom’s words. “Ah.. thanks, mum,” the apprentice said before drinking more of his hot chocolate.

“Don’t mention it!” Hop’s mom turned to leave the kitchen. “Now, you sit there and warm up, ‘kay? Dinner should be ready soon.”

“Aight,” Hop responded. Quickly, he asked, “Where’s Lee?”

“Oh, he’s out — but he’ll be back before dinner’s ready, he said,” the apprentice’s mom informed before she walked out of the living room.

Once she left, Hop sighed and set his mug down on the coffee table. Inteleon had drank more of his own beverage, and the Water-type was now looking at his trainer curiously. Hop took notice of this and flashed a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, Inteleon,” he said. “I’m just thinkin’ ‘bout Vic. It’s nothin’ new for ya.”

Inteleon trilled lightly, but then nodded and nuzzled his trainer’s cheek before returning to his hot chocolate. When he did, Hop began to gaze at his family’s tree, which had an array of colorful ornaments, ranging from a cherry-red to a forest-like green.

Two days, and Hop would be face-to-face with his crush again. It felt so strange to be this excited about it; it wasn’t the first time Hop and Victor had been separated for a while. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a nagging.. longing feeling in his gut. Perhaps it was due to his feelings becoming so much.. stronger than before.

Arceus, Hop wanted to confess to Victor so badly.. but would he even have the courage to do it?

Hop shook the thoughts away and downed his mug, only to recoil again from the almost-scathing temperature.


	7. Chapter 7

Hop counted the hours down.. all the way down to every singular minute. Because of that, it almost didn’t even feel like it was Christmas Eve. It was late at night, and the apprentice had returned to his cozy home in Postwick after a long work day with Sonia and Yamper. The sky outside was a deep ultramarine blue, and although the sky was clear, gray clouds could still be seen against the darkness, and a bitter, howling wind was audible — even with Hop’s only bedroom window being locked shut. Milky moonlight spilled through the crack between Hop’s window curtains, striping his pant leg as he laid down and spoke to Victor over the phone. Zacian was snoring away on the rug, and the room was warm and dark.. It made Hop rather sleepy.

“Can you believe Christmas is tomorrow?” Victor was rambling on as he got himself prepared to take the train back to Wedgehurst. The spritely tone in the Champion’s voice warmed Hop’s heart, and he couldn’t help but smile as he listened to his best friend and crush talk. “It’s wild how Gloria came all the way to Wyndon too, but she’s coming back with me! I think Raihan even mentioned that he’d be comin’ to that Christmas party your mum is havin’. I’m so excited for it!”

“Yeah.. me too,” Hop agreed, his voice laced with traces of drowsiness. “I’m.. I’m really excited to see you again, mate.”

There was a moment of silence on Victor’s end before he replied, “Yeah.. I’m excited too, Hop.” There was sincerity in his voice, and an almost.. loving tone. Hop was unsure if he’d imagined it or not, but the thought of it being true made him blush a little nonetheless.

“Yeah..! I’m glad the Wyndon trip went good for ya, mate. It feels like a million years since I last saw ya.” Hop’s voice almost whined while he spoke, however he was too tired to catch himself and stop. “It’s gonna be so nice to see you. You bet I’m gonna give you a hug when you come over.”

Victor’s laugh was audible on the other end. “I look forward to the hug! ..You good, Hop?” he said. “You sound sleepy.”

“I am..” Hop confessed with a huff. “But I just wanted to talk to ya before you get on the train.” The indigo-haired boy paused for a moment. “Are you n Raihan takin’ the same train back?”

“Hm? Ah, yeah,” Victor replied after a thoughtful hum. “Gloria too. I wouldn’t see why not. According to the train schedule, we should be back by morning. You could meet me at the station!” The Galarian Champion suddenly sounded ecstatic. “And I could give you your jacket back.”

“Yeah, and I could give ya yours,” Hop replied, golden eyes wandering over to where the folded gray jacket laid on his desk — along with the bright red scarf. Images of Victor’s somewhat slender frame bundled up in his wooly blue jacket flashed through Hop’s mind, and he blushed a little. “You bet I’m gonna meet ya and the others at the station! Lee might be there too if he isn’t off doin’ somethin’.”

“That would be really neat!” Victor chimed. Suddenly though, there was a moment of silence, and the Champion’s tone shifted. “Hey, Hop..? I gotta go. It’s gettin’ around the time I should meet Raihan n Gloria at the station.”

“Ah! Aight, mate,” Hop replied in understanding, although he still felt a flash of sadness. He wanted to talk to Victor more.. but he knew that that was silly; his best friend had to get back to Postwick for Christmas! “Text me when you’re almost here! I’ll be waiting for ya.”

Victor’s soft chuckle made Hop’s heart skip a beat. “Thanks, Hop. I’ll be sure to.. I’ll see you when I get back!”

“Right! Travel safely, mate!” Hop said.

“Thanks! Bye!”

And with that, the conversation was over. Hop sighed and grabbed his Rotom-phone, then rolled over and plugged it in to charge on his nightstand. After he’d done that, the boy rolled around to get comfortable. Despite his ongoing excitement, sleep overwhelmed him, and Hop was soon fast asleep.

~~~

“What do you mean it’s delayed!?”

Leon and Sonia both looked over to a devastated-looking Hop, his golden eyes widened with disappointment.

“The train’s stuck somewhere!?” Hop exclaimed, his voice giving away his distraught. “What the bloody —“

“Hop, calm down,” Leon ordered calmly, cutting his younger brother off. The former Champion heaved a sigh. “That’s.. what we said. There was an avalanche on the tracks, and heaps of snow are blockin’ the path to Wedgehurst. They’re clearin’ it out as fast as they can since it only just happened after Vic, Gloria, and Rai’s train left Wyndon.”

Hop was at the lab — with Sonia and Leon being there before he’d arrived. Leon had been looking forward to greeting Raihan and the others once they’d stopped are the Wedgehurst Station. Hop was as well; he even went while wearing his crush’s jacket that he’d grown to enjoy wearing. However, both him and Leon had been disappointed to find out some breaking news from Sonia. The train carrying their two friends had been delayed due to an avalanche burying the tracks to Wedgehurst.

“When are they gonna fix it?” Hop asked, frowning, while Sonia checked her Rotom-phone for any information on the situation at hand.

“Hmm.. well, it says here that they’re workin’ on it right this moment,” Sonia explained, humming after speaking. “The train should be back on track by noon.”

“Noon?” Hop gaped at the young professor.

Sonia helplessly shrugged and put her phone in the pocket of her jacket. “That’s.. that’s what it says,” she sighed. “Sorry, you guys.”

Hop whined and looked out the window of the lab. Outside, a winter wonderland still remained, and the apprentice felt a twinge of sadness in his stomach. It was Christmas Day, and this was the first thing he was welcomed with.. his and Leon’s mom even offered to set aside gift unwrapping for later so the two could meet up with Victor and Raihan. But now they weren’t even going to show until past noon. Why didn’t Victor let him know? Did he have any reception in the area the train was stopped at?

“We’ll have to wait for them,” Leon decided, his former Champion self beginning to show through his sharp decision-making. Hop’s older brother looked over at him with a saddened grin. “C’mon, Hop. Let’s head back home for now. We can tell Mum what happened.” Leon then looked to Sonia. “You gonna come with us?”

Sonia smiled at her childhood friend. “Thanks Leon,” she began, “but I’ll be at your guys’ for the Christmas party tonight. My grandmother should be at home by now — she took the Corviknight cab back earlier this week.”

“Alright, suit yourself!”

Hop heaved a sigh and looked down at his phone screen, which he’d pulled out of his jacket pocket. The time showed ten o’clock in the morning.. and no notifications.

After saying their goodbyes to Sonia, Leon and Hop departed from the lab and out into the snow. Leon was wearing a faded black hoodie, and it was almost unnatural to see the man in such casual clothes after seeing him in his uniform for so long. It made him look more relaxed though, so Hop wasn’t complaining.

“Did Raihan text you at all?” Hop decided to ask.

Leon glanced over at his little brother and sighed. “Nah,” he responded. “Usually Rai would shoot me a text to update me ‘bout things, but not this time. I’m assumin’ he’s got no bars. What about Vic? Anythin’ from him?”

“Nah..”

Leon frowned a bit sympathetically at Hop, but then he mustered a smile again and lightly nudged Hop’s side as they traversed the route back to Postwick. “Ay, cheer up, Hop!” he encouraged. “Vic n Rai will be back before the party — I’m sure of it! It’ll be aight.”

Hop did his best to listen to his brother’s words.. his own idol’s words. Leon had always been there for him, and he did everything he could to keep him safe and happy. Knowing that Leon was doing his best to cheer Hop up about the delay warmed his spirits, and it caused the apprentice to crack a smile.

“Yeah.. you’re right. Thanks, Lee.” Hop smiled softly to his older brother. It was strange that he only had to look up to him a tiny bit to make eye contact. Back when Hop first began his journey, he was a lot shorter. It seemed so long ago since then.. “I’ll do my best to cheer up.”

“That’s the spirit, Hop,” Leon smiled brightly. “They’ll get here when they get here! Let’s head home and chill with mum, yeah? It’s Christmas, after all!”

Hop smiled, Leon’s expression being highly contagious, and the apprentice nodded determinedly. “Aight!” he agreed, as together the two siblings returned home through the bitter winter air.

~~~

The day went by at an agonizing pace. Whether it was him wanting to see Victor again so badly or the fact that it was Christmas Day, Hop wasn’t sure.

Well.. he was, actually.

But soon enough, the family began to prepare for their Christmas party. While their mom completed meals and worked on desserts, Hop and Leon modestly decorate their home with cozy red-and-green décor. It was a tradition to throw a party every time Christmas rolled around — starting back from when Leon was just a kid. The family had invited a nice amount of people to the gathering, such as some of Galar’s Gym leaders (including Bede and Marnie, who recently succeeded Opal and Piers as leaders), Professor Magnolia and Sonia, and Victor, Gloria, and their mom. In total, that was quite a handful of people, but it wasn’t something Hop and his family weren’t used to. Besides, the more people who showed up, the merrier.

While Hop hung up a mistletoe from one of the doorways, Christmas music blaring from the kitchen via his mom’s new speaker, he pulled out his phone and glanced down at it. It was four o’clock, and the party was going to start at six. Despite his brother’s words from earlier that day, Hop couldn’t help but feel anxiety gnaw at his stomach. Were Victor, Gloria, and Raihan going to make it to the party? Right about half an hour past noon, Sonia had sent a text to Leon confirming that the snow had been cleared, so they were back on their route to Wedgehurst Station. Hop hoped that they’d make it back in time. He really wanted to see Victor.. he’d missed him so much for the week that he’d been gone. Frustration filled Hop’s senses, and he huffed, stashed his phone, and went back to hanging up the mistletoe.

Why had Victor not texted him? Surely he had service by now. Hop did his best not to dwell on matters when he heard Leon calling him over to help with decorating the front yard. From the open door, Hop could see that his older brother’s infamous Charizard was with him, and quickly the apprentice rushed to the former Champion’s aid.

~~~

Two hours..

Two hours of waiting for some kind of sign..

And nothing.

The party had a slow start, but soon people began to show up. First, it was Victor and Gloria’s mom, who’d brought some pies for dessert. Her signature side ponytail was tied with a prickle holly leaf attached a red ribbon that tied her hair together, and her Munchlax had eagerly joined in on the celebration. The woman looked rather worried for her kids’ return, but she clearly did her best to mask it, greeting everyone with a smile as she’d been escorted to the kitchen by Hop’s mom. Hop couldn’t help but feel bad for her, but like him, she had hope that they’d make it in time for the Christmas party. She’s even brought along Victor and Gloria’s presents that she’d prepared for them.

After Victor’s mom, Professor Magnolia arrived, and after them, Milo, Nessa, Piers, and Marnie. Soon enough, everyone had arrived — excluding Sonia, who was apparently wanting to finish up some final papers before attending the party (according to her grandmother). Hop did his best to take his mind off of Victor’s absence by catching up with Marnie and Bede (Marina a bit more than Bede; Hop still wasn’t on the best of terms with the young Fairy-type leader).

No matter how much he socialized though, Hop was growing antsy. It had gotten to the point where Marnie took notice.

“‘Op? You doin’ aight?” the Dark-type leader asked, her accent deep and clear in her young voice as she swallowed a bit of pie. She was holding a paper plate and a plastic fork, and on her plate was a pumpkin pie. “You look a bit outta it..” Bede took a sip from his seventh hot chocolate that night as he glanced at Hop with his sharp, sapphire-blue gaze.

“Huh? Oh, I’m aight, Marn,” Hop responded after blinking. The trio were hanging out in the living room of the house, while the adults at the party were mostly flocked around the kitchen or near it. “Just.. I dunno. I was thinkin’ ‘bout how Vic isn’t here yet.”

“Victor hasn’t shown up?” Bede raised a brow. “I thought he and Raihan were going to arrive here this morning by train?” Despite his inquiries, Bede still held an air of superiority to him. Hop wasn’t sure if that was the way to describe it, but the atmosphere didn’t allow him to relax whenever the Gym leader spoke.

“He was supposed to,” Hop explained shortly, “but there was an avalanche on the tracks, so they burnt daylight gettin’ rid of it.”

“It took that long?” Marnie asked curiously. “Don’t cha think they’d use Fire-types to finish that sooner?”

“I guess it was bad,” Hop shrugged, still frowning. “Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense for them to finish at such a slow pace.”

Marnie hummed in agreement and quietly ate more of her pie. While she did, Bede leaned forward a bit and narrowed his eyes scrutinizingly towards Hop. This caused the apprentice to take notice and lean away rather awkwardly.

“Oi, why’re you lookin’ at me like that?” Hop asked with a huff.

Bede leaned away and sipped more of his hot chocolate. “I just noticed something..” he responded. “When did you start growing facial hair, Hop?”

“What?”

Hop instinctively rubbed his chin, and surely enough, there were stubbles of hair beginning to grow there. When did those appear? “I didn’t even notice these were growin’ in.”

Marnie giggled softly. “It’s kinda dark too,” she commented modestly. “It kinda reminds me o’ Leon, not gonna lie.”

“R-really?” Hop blushed a bit from embarrassment. “It reminds you of Lee?”

Bede nodded slowly and huffed. “You didn’t even notice they were there?” he asked in mild amusement. “What? Sonia’s been working you so much that you haven’t even remembered to shave?”

Hop was quick to defend himself. “Oi! That’s not it!” he retorted with a reddening face. “So what if I forgot to shave? I usually do! Besides, it doesn’t look bad, does it?”

“No,” Marnie shook her head. “You look mature with it.”

Hop thanked Marnie bashfully before Bede spoke up. “No,” the Fairy-type user said. “It just looks.. unprofessional.”

“Facial hair isn’t ‘unprofessional’, Bede,” Hop hissed. “Lee had facial hair all through his Championship, and he’s the most professional-lookin’ guy ever!”

Bede laughed. “Oh really?” he asked slyly. “With that snapback and frilly cape of his? He looked far from professional.”

“Oi, don’t insult my big brother like that!” Hop said, growing irritated. “At least he looked like his age. You have quite the baby face for a seventeen-year-old.”

Bede’s smug smile quickly dissolved into an embarrassed, angered expression. “Be quiet!” he snapped. “I don’t have a baby face! I just keep my face well-kept.”

Hop snorted. “What ‘bout your hair then?” he asked. “Looks like it hasn’t been brushed in months.”

“You —!”

“Guys, c’mon,” Marnie interrupted. Before she could finish speaking though, a commotion was suddenly heard from the kitchen. Curiously, the three teenagers all looked up to face the noise.

“What’s goin’ on?” Marnie set down her plate on the coffee table and got up. Hop did as well, and eventually Bede begrudgingly did the same.

“Miss Opal might need me,” was Bede’s spoken reasoning before he vanished into the foyer. After he did, Hop and Marnie followed suit.

In the foyer, people were flocked around, and others were looking in through the kitchen. A buzz was filling the air, and Hop was curious as to what was happening past the small crowd of people. After scooting past Milo and Gordie, the apprentice looked to see Sonia being greeted by Nessa. Beside her, the tall, lean figure of Raihan was being hugged by Leon. Hop’s heart stopped, and when he looked to see who was beside him, he saw the eyes of a snow-flecked Victor staring back at him. A smile was on his face, and his cheeks were tinted pink from the cold air outside.

“Hey, Hop —!“

Victor’s greeting was cut off when Hop barreled into him with a hug. The apprentice wrapped his arms around Victor’s lithe body, and he buried his face into his neck. His woolly blue jacket was now laced with his crush’s familiar smell.

“It’s about time you came back, mate!” he exclaimed. “I’ve been thinkin’ about you all damn week!”

Victor laughed and hugged Hop back. “It’s nice to see you, Hop,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t text ya. I slept the whole way back to Wedgehurst after that whole snow epidemic.”

Hop grumbled with complaints, but then pulled away and stared at Victor with a smile. His golden eyes shone with emotion. “It’s aight, mate. I just missed ya a whole ton.” He seemed to have forgotten about the crowd around him in the moment.

Victor smiled. “I missed you a lot too,” he responded. But then, he blinked curiously and laughed lightly. “Since when did you start growing —“

“Ignore it,” Hop groaned. “I forgot to get rid of it.”

“Okay,” Victor smiled in amusement. “It looks good on you though.”

Hop couldn’t help but blush as Victor pulled him in for another hug. Hop hugged him back, and for the longest time he didn’t want to let go.

~~~

For the remainder of the party, Hop hung out with Victor — and sometimes Gloria as well. The indigo-haired boy was determined to not leave Victor’s side, and he was glad to see that Victor didn’t dislike it. As the night went on, the boys exchanged jackets again, and Hop was glad to have his signature coat back. Even if he’d grown to like his crush’s jacket and scarf, nothing could beat the soft sensation of Wooloo wool. It had even been recently-washed, and it carried Victor’s smell with it now too.

Eventually, ten o’clock arrived, and the party came to a close. Those who’d attended thanked Hop’s mom for hosting it again before leaving, and soon everyone was gone — except for Raihan, Gloria, and hers and Victor’s mom.

While the others were inside cleaning up, Hop and Victor stood outside in Hop’s yard. Before them was a small, makeshift battlefield, along with a small pond and a lush oak tree beside it. The two boys stared at the scene, the tree and water bringing back memories to where they’d first began their journey together with Gloria. It felt as if it was so long ago now.. and truly, it probably was.

“I’m.. glad you were able to make it,” Hop spoke, breaking the comfortable silence. His hair was flecked with white from the fresh, light snowfall that had just begun.

Victor smiled and looked at his best friend. “Yeah, I am too,” he responded. “I really missed you, Hop. I was so worried that I wouldn’t make it. I’m glad I did though.”

Hop sighed and nodded in agreement. “Me too..”

A moment passed, and the gears in Hop’s head began to turn. (Tell him), they urged. (Now’s the perfect opportunity.) The more they pushed, the more nervous Hop became.

“Y’know, I remember when we first got our Pokémon from Lee,” Victor reminisced, gazing at the thin sheet of ice that blanketed the pond before them. “It was really amazing, to finally get my own Pokémon.”

(Tell him that you love him.)

“Yeah..” Hop nodded, battling against his thoughts. Why was he so afraid? He had no reason to be

“I’m happy that I was able to! Because then I got to go on a journey with you.” Victor smiled at Hop, and Hop swore he could feel his heart melting.

(Say it.)

“Me too,” Hop grinned in return. “I really am..”

Victor laughed a little and turned his attention back to the scenery. “We should probably head back inside,” he spoke, a feeling of.. sadness?.. coming from him.

At the mention of that, Hop snapped.

“Victor,” Hop spoke suddenly. Victor looked at his friend with a startled look, as Hop almost never referred to him by his full name unless it was because of something serious.

“Uh, yeah?”

Hop bit his lip. “Uh.. there’s something I wanted to tell you first.. before we head back in.”

Victor’s eyes flashed with some kind of hope, and it made Hop confused. “What is it?” he inquired.

Hop sucked in a deep breath of air. (Tell him.. tell him. Tell him.) “Well.. i-it’s really important, and..”

“Yeah?”

“I-I understand if you, uh, might feel.. negatively.. about it, and..” A moment of silence.

Victor now looked concerned. “Hop, what’s the matter?” he asked in a more serious and worried tone. “Did something bad happen?”

Hop gazed at his childhood friend. With a bright red face, he finally finished.

“I-I just wanna say that.. uh.. for the longest time, I.. uh.. l-like..

(Screw it.) Hop shook his head clear and forced the words out.

“I really.. like.. you.”

Silence passed at an agonizing pace, and Hop winced, preparing for something — anything. But nothing came, and when the apprentice opened his eyes, he saw that Victor was staring at him. His cheeks were now flushed with an alarming red color, and his warm chocolate eyes were wider than full moons.

“You.. wait.” Victor blinked multiple times, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. “You said you like me? R-really?”

“Oh, c’mon mate,” Hop whined, his cheeks still hot. “D-don’t word it like that..” The apprentice trailed off when Victor yanked him into a hug. Hop’s heart jumped when he could practically feel how fast Victor’s was beating.

“You’re serious? You’re absolutely serious?” Victor asked next to Hop’s ear, causing the boy to shiver a little.

“Of course, mate!” Hop replied in exasperation. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Hop!” Victor pulled away and laughed, his eyes bright and filled with emotion and.. tears? “I love you too!”

Hop stared at Victor with a mixture of both shock and relief.

“S-seriously, mate?”

“Yes!”

“F-for how long?” Hop could hardly believe his own hearing.

Victor laughed and wiped at one of his eyes. “Since, like, forever!” he exclaimed. “You’ve always be so determined and kind and — and attractive, and I really like you! How could I not? You’re an amazing person, Hop.”

“M-me?” Hop’s lips twitched, and he was soon smiling too. “What about you, mate? You’re so strong and hardworking, and you’ve always had such a good heart. If anyone, you’re the amazing person.”

“Shut up!” Victor hugged Hop again, burying his face into the fluff of his jacket. “For Arceus’ sake, I love you! Let me compliment you!”

Usually, Hop would’ve been embarrassed. He would’ve been unsure of how to handle praise. But for now, Hop took it — he just had his own crush reciprocate his feelings! The apprentice hugged him back, and for the longest time the two boys stood there out in the snow, feeling warmer than they ever could indoors. Hop’s heart felt as if it were soaring.

Victor liked him. Victor — the boy who Hop adored ever since they were kids — liked him. The news made him feel giddy.

Finally, the boys let each other go, but their faces stayed close together. Victor held Hop’s cheek in his hand, and the apprentice didn’t pull away. They stared at one another before Victor finally spoke meekly.

“So, uh.. d-does this mean we can..?”

“Date?” Hop responded, feeling bold. “Is that even a question? If you want to, then yeah!”

“Of course I do!” Victor blushed as he replied. “I wanna date you!”

“Yeah? Well I do too, mate!”

“Good!” Victor laughed, still in a sense of shock from the events that had just transpired.

Perhaps it was a decision made in the moment without any thought, because before Hop could even stop to think, he felt Victor pull him in for a kiss.

It was short lived, but Hop would have never been able to tell, because it seemed to have gone on for an eternity.

Victor pulled away and stared at Hop with a giddy smile. Hop huffed, then began to smile back.

“S-sorry,” Victor apologized with a bashful grin. “I-I just really wanted to do that. I-I should’ve asked.”

Hop laughed. “Don’t worry about it, mate,” he reassured the other. “I-I liked it! Can, uh.. can we do it again?”

Victor stared at Hop before cracking up in embarrassment. “O-okay!” he responded, and within seconds the boy was pressing his lips against Hop’s for the second time that night. In return, Hop pulled Victor close and smiled through the kiss, the scenario almost feeling like a dream.

Above the two, snow continued to fall, coming down more and more, and from the window looking into the kitchen of the house, there were a few watching eyes. Hop and Victor didn’t have a care in the world.

A new snowstorm was beginning, as was something entirely new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand that’s it! I apologize for it being short and a little quick, but I hope the softness made up for it! Thank you guys for reading <3 Comments are always appreciated!


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